This is a past event
Tapes of previously unseen footage of a number of Republican prisoners who took part in the 1981 hunger strike were recently discovered in the attic of a house in Dublin.
The filming took place in December 1990 when the prisoners were released for a week on Christmas parole. Almost 16 hours of footage was recorded by Art O’Laghaoire, Danny Devenny, and Orla Walsh.
A 35-minute edited compilation from the entire 16 hours of footage will be screened, featuring the contributions from women only. These include former prisoners; Síle Darragh, who took over as Officer Commanding the republican prisoners from Mairéad Farrell once she went on hunger strike in 1980; Mary Doyle who took part in the 1980 hunger strike; and Jennifer McCann who was sentenced shortly after Bobby Sands began his hunger strike and who gave a speech from the dock during her trial. Mary Nelis, the mother of two sons on protest in the H-Blocks, and who went on to play a central role in the Anti H-Block/Armagh Jail campaign on the outside, is also featured.
Following the screening, Síle, Jennifer, and Mary Doyle will take part in a Q&A chaired by Eilish Rooney, Emeritus Scholar at the University of Ulster's Transitional Justice Institute.
Screening as part of the 21st Belfast Film Festival. Please note: all tickets are sold via the Belfast Film Festival box office. If you have any access requirements please get in touch with the box office before booking: boxoffice@belfastfilmfestival.org.
For more information about the festival please visit belfastfilmfestival.org.
We're delighted to swing open the cinema door once more. You might like to read more about the measures we're taking to reduce the risk from COVID-19, including allocated seating. Find out more here. The screening will be sold at full capacity. If you have any questions, we've got a new range of FAQs here, and you can email us on qftmanager@qub.ac.uk.